Adjustable fastening device



G. H. c. CQRNER' 2,245,255

ADJUSTABLE FASTENING DEVICE F iled June 19, 1939 June 10, 1947 INVENTOR.

Corner ATTORNEY.

Patenteci June 10, 1941 ADJUSTABLE FASTENING nnvrcr: I

George Henry Clifford Corner, Sutton Coldfield, England, assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 19, 1939, Serial No. 280,001 In Great Britain June 20, 1938 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable fastening devices adapted for fastening together two articles or two parts of the same article at any one of a plurality of difierent relative positions.

More particularly, this invention relates to adjustable fastening devices of the kind comprising two elements, one of which is in the form of a substantially flexible member or track and the other a slider or locking member adapted to slide over the track and to be detachably locked thereto in any one of a plurality of different 'positions. The flexible member or track is secured to, or constitutes part of, one of the parts or articles to be fastened together while the looking member or slider is secured to the other of the two parts or articles.

The chief object of my invention is to provide a construction which is simple and effective in operation and which presents a neat and attractive appearance. A further objectis to secure ease and economy,-of manufacture. A still further object isto obtain improved flexibility of the track member whereby it may be securedcomprises a series of bead-like members or stops joined or connected together in a flexible manner .in pre-determined spaced relation, said joined or connected series of members or stops being secured to a flexible supporting member. 'The slider or locking member is arranged to slide over the bead-like members for selective engagement with the same.

The flexible supporting member may be one of the articles or parts of the same article to be secured together or may be an auxiliary member which is then attached to said article, or part for example by sewing.

One construction in accordance with my invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plurality of connected bead members.

Figure 2 shows a plurality of such connected bead members attached to a flexible supportin member.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the .assembled fastening device.

Figure 4 shows a plan view corresponding to Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows a sectional View, through the line 5-5 of Figure 3, with the pull tab removed for the sake of clarity.

Figure 6 shows an alternative form of supporting member.

Figure 7 shows an alternative form of construction wherein staples are used to secure the connected bead members. to the supporting member.

Figure 8 is a view, partly in section, showing connected bead members formed by moulding or fastened, as shown at 3, by sewing preferably by machinery to a supporting member I, the, attaching threads being wrapped over the connecting links 2 (Fig. 2). Alternatively, the flexible supporting member 4 may be made with a series of small apertures 4a (Figure 6) extendinglongitudinally of the said member, the apertures being so shaped and spaced, as shown in 6, as to allow the bead members I to pass therethrough. The supporting member 4 is then folded over in order to enclose the connecting links 2 within the warp threads 6 with each bead mem-' her I disposed between the warp threads 6 at each end of each aperture in, and the two thicknesses of the folded supporting member 4 are then joined by stitches 4b (Fig. 5). The stitches db are disposed adjacent to the bead chain in order to ensure that the chain is held closely against the supporting member l. The free. edges of the supporting member 4 are then separated and flattened out as shown at I, Figure 5. The bead chain may alternatively be secured to the supporting member by a series of staples 31; passing over the connecting links 2 and clinched beneath the support 4, as shown in Fig. 7.

The bead-like members may be made of metal of any suitable shape or of glass or othernonmetallic material, for example, synthetic resin composition and shaped'to enable the locking means of the slider to engage therewith or between adjacent members. While by virtue of its mode of formation the track presents an attractlve appearance, this may be enhanced by embellishments common in the jewelry and allied arts.

Particularly when the bead-like members I are made of plastic material, it may be convenient to mould or cast the same directly on to a flexible mounting tape, cord or wire 2a in a pre-determined spaced relation, as shown in Fig. 8, without impairing to any substantial extent the original flexibility of the mounting member, the mounting member 2a being then secured to the supporting member, preferably the article on which the device is to be used.

The slider or locking member may be of any' suitable construction whereby it may slide over the track of bead-like members and is provided with means whereby it may be lockingly engaged either with one of the members or preferably in between two adjacent members. In the construction shown in Figures 3-5 the slider is ar-' ranged for automatic locking engagement with the track on being released from positive movement along the track. The body of the slider 8 is part cylindrical in shape to engage with the bead chain and is movable longitudinally thereof. Attached to the slider body 8 is a locking member 9, comprising a trough-shaped rockerarm, pivoted at it] to an upstanding lug attached to the upper surface of the slider body. The rocker-arm is provided at its free end with a locking prong II which is suitably shaped to allow of its insertion in the spaces I2 between adjacent bead members. A spring l3 positioned as shown, normally forces the locking prong into engagement with any adjacent bead members when the slider is positioned on the bead chain. The slider 8 is operated by a pull-tab which may be of any convenient form such as that shown at M, attached to the locking member 9 as shown at l5, whereby the locking prong is held out'of engagement with the bead members during positive movement of the slider along the bead-chain. The slider 8 is attached to one of the two ends of an article, such as a belt, to be joined together, the bead chain'being attached to the other end of the article. The slider is attached by means of a flattened loop as shown at 16, the end of the article being threaded through the loop and turned back and secured by sewing or other means as shown at IT.

As many apparently widely diiferent embodiments of this invention may be made without dea having flexible means connecting the same together in flexible manner in predetermined spaced relation, and flexible means securing the said bead-like members to a flexible supporting member.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the bead-like members are cast on to a flexible mounting tape in predetermined spaced relationship.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the flexible member comprises a bead chain composed of predeterminedly spaced bead-like members having connecting links pivotally secured therebetween, and cross threads extending over said connecting links and connecting said connecting links to said flexible supporting memher.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the flexible member comprises a bead chain composed of predeterminedly spaced bead-like members having connecting links pivotally secured therebetween, and cross threads extending over said connecting links and connecting said connecting links to said flexible supporting member,

said cross threads being woven into said flexible supporting member.

GEORGE H. C. CORNER. 

